Loop forming mechanism



sept. 3, 1940. B A PARKES E1- A| 2,213,502

LOOP FORMING MECHANISM Orignal Filed May 15, 1937 ZASheets-Sheet l (VQ- b,

H w l LA; (l

ATTORNEY Sept. 3, 1940. B, A PARKES ET AL 2,213,502

` LOOP FORMING MECHANISM Original Filed May 15, 1937' 2 sheets-sheet z ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1940 rAres orFiCE TE r" LOOP FORMING MEGHANISM Bertrand A. Parkes and Ralph C. Parkes, Philadelphia, Pa.

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to a new and useful loop forming mechanism for drying machines of the type generally used for drying textiles, yarns, or similar materials, `which is passed through the y, drying chamber of a drying machine in the form of suspended loops and in which it is necessary, in the interests of efliciency and proper results, to have the loops of a uniform size.

Our invention further relates to a loop forming mechanism which, in addition to positively and accurately controlling the length of the loops to achieve uniformity, also includes means for facilitating the introduction of the material being dried into the drying chamber and while the length of its loop is being determined, thus, not only assisting in the accurate predetermining of the length of the loop, but also insuring the formation of loops free of wrinkles or distortion.

It is well known that in the drying chamber of a drying machine of this character there 1s a constant and great turbulence of the heated air which is used for drying material, which turbulence offers a resistance to and seriously interferes with the formation of the loops and their introduction into the drying chamber, and it is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to obviate this disadvantageous condition.

The structure and operation of our invention will be more clearly set forth in the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. l represents a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the feed and of a drying machine provided with a loop forming mechanisrn embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 represents, on an enlarged scale, a View showing the details of construction of a part of the loop forming mechanism.

Fig. 3 represents a left hand end view of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts, i designates a frame or housing and 2 designates the drying chamber of a conventional drying machine. 3 and 4 designate sprockets over which travels a sprocket chain I5 carrying the poles 8 from which loops II! of cloth are suspended during their progress through the machine. l2 designates the material to be dried and which is fed in any conventional manner over the rollers I4, I6, I8 and 20.

As above stated, our invention contemplates means for positively and accurately controlling the length of the loop, together with means for facilitating the formation of the loop. Referring (c1. zii- 2.2)

to the part of our invention which serves to facilitate the formation of the loop and its introduction into the drying chamber, and referring more particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that we provide the inclined board 22 which is ad- (5 justably mounted at 2li and against the face of which the material I2 is adapted to travel downwardly to form the loop I0. The board 22 serves not only to guide the cloth but also tends to smooth out the cloth of any wrinkles that may 'm be in it as well as to eliminate its tendency to form wrinkles. Below the board 22 we form the floor of the dryingvchamber of slats 26 which are suitably spaced so that the air, which may reach the chamber housing the board 22 where the loops 'l5 are formed, is allowed to escape downwardly in the direction of the arrows thus, not only relieving theA pressure and eliminating any turbulence of the air, but alsocreating a downward current which acts as a suction on the material I2 20 being fed downwardly along the face of the board 22 thus accelerating the movement of the cloth and further serving to eliminate any wrinkles that may tend to form therein. Thus, by the cooperation of the surface of the board 22 to- 25 gether with the downward travel of the air currents, the feeding of the cloth is greatlyfacilitated and its tendency to wrinkle is either entirely eliminated or greately reduced.

In Fig. 2 we have shown the mechanism for '30 controlling in a positive and accurate manner the length of the loops I0 to be formed, and it will be seen that our device consists of a flexible strip such as canvas or the like 30 which may be of a width equal to the length of the poles 8 and 35 which is provided with a suitable weight 32. The flexible strip 3@ is adjustably clamped in position at 3l, the height of the strip 39 vertically considered in Fig. 2 from the point 3l down to the point 32 determining the length of the loop 40 I0 to be fo-rmed in a manner hereinafter set forth. The strip- 30 is normally adapted to drop between any pair of successive poles 8, and as the poles 8 progress in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 the strip 3i) is adapted to ride on the next 45 'adjacent pole substantially as shown in Fig. 2. Cooperating with the strip 30 is the pusher 36 having the head 38 which is adapted to Ibear against the strip 30. The pusher 36 is secured M by the pin llll to the shaft 42 so that, if the shaft 42 is rotated about its'axis, the pusher 36 is actuated accordingly. To the shaft 42 is also secured the arm M which is provided with the roller 46 which also is adapted to ride upon an adjacent 55 pole 8. Also secured to the shaft 42 is the arm 48 which carries a suitable weight 50.

The operation of this loop forming mechanism is as follows:

The cloth I2 drops between a pair of travelling poles 8 as shown in Fig. 1, and, for the purpose of this description, the poles 8 have, in Fig. 2, been designated as B, C, D and E, which represent the steps or stations involved in the operation of the device. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the cloth dropping in advance of the pole 8 is clamped against the pole B by the @pusher 36 pressing against the strip 39. In this position the roller 46 carried by the arm 44 rides on the pole C as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. As the roller C progresses in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 towards the station D, the roller 46 approaches the point of dropping off the pole C, and at the same time the lower weighted end of the strip is about ready to disengage from the pole B, it being understood that by this time the `pole C is approaching D and the pole B is approaching C. When the roller 46 drops Ioff the pole at station D, the weight 56 again drops from the position shown in dotted lines to the position .shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and presses the pusher 36 againstvthe strip 36 into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. The length of time during which the pusher 36 is clamping the fabric against the pole B determines the length of lthe loop formed by the cloth l2 dropping between the stations B and E. The length of the strip 30, the rate of speed of the pole conveyor 8, as well as the stroke of the arm 44,` can be accurately synchronized and thus the length of the loop can .be `accurately predetermined. While in this description we have referred to a single pusher 36 and a single weight 5D, it is obviousl from Fig. 3 that the number of arms and pushers that are used is optional and is controlled by the width of the drying chamber or the width of the cloth to be dried. f

This application is a division from our c'opending application Serial No. 142,778, May 15, 1937.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loop-forming mechanism for a drying machine having moving poles on which the material to be dried is adapted to be festooned, and

means for feeding said material vertically between successive poles comprising, a shaft pivotally mounted above and parallel to said poles, a flexible'element mounted near said shaft with the lower portion thereof adapted to ride successively on said poles, an arm carried by said shaft and normally pressing against said flexible element to clamp the lower portion thereof suc'- cessively against said poles and a weight vcarried by said shaft for normally actuating the latter and said arm into operative position.

2. A loop-forming mechanism for a drying machine having moving poles on which the material to be dried is adapted to be festooned, and `means for feeding said material vertically between successive poles comprising, a shaft pivotally mounted above and parallel to said poles, a flexible element mounted near said shaft with the lower portion thereof adapted to ride successively on said poles, a pair of angularly disposed arms carried by said shaft with tne free end of one of said arms adaptedv to press against said iiexible element to clamp the lower portion thereof against one of said poles, and with the free end of the other of said arms riding on an adjacent pole, and means for normally urging said shaft and said arm into their operative positions.

3. A loop-forming mechanism for a dryingl machine having moving poles on which the material to be dried is adapted to be festooned, and

means for feeding said material vertically between successive poles comprising, a shaft pivotally mounted above and parallel to said poles, a flexible element mounted near said shaft with the lower portion thereof adapted to ride successively on said poles, an arm carried by said shaft at an angle to thevertical plane thereof with the free end of said arm pressing against said element to clamp the lower portion thereof successively against said poles, another arm also carried by said shaft at an opposite angle with respect to the vertical plane thereof, with the free end of said arm riding successively on the poles immediately adjacent the pole on which the flexible element is clamped, and a weight carried by sa-id shaft for normally urging said arms against said flexible elements and said poles.

BERTRAND A. PARKES. RALPH C. PARKE'S. 

